Relay



B. E. SHAW Oct. 19, 1943.

RELAY Filed Feb. 12, 1940 Patented Oct. 19, 1943 RELAY Burton E. Shaw, Bristol, Ind., assignor to Penn Electric Switch 00., Goshen, Ind., a corporation of Iowa Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,528

3 Claims. (01.175-336) My present invention relates to a relay particularly designed for double-throw operation.

One object of the invention is to provide a relay of simple and inexpensive construction which includes stationary and movable contact springs so arranged that certain contacts are engaged normally when the relay is deenergized and others are engaged by energization of the relay.

A further object is to provide a relay which may be panel-mounted in such manner that the core and coil of the relay are behind the panel and the wiring to the various contacts of the relay is also behind the panel, only the armature and contacts being mounted in front of the panel where access can be readily had to them for cleaning the contacts or for other service operations.

A further object is to provide relay contacts of the simple contact spring variety, with a novel arrangement for mounting them on the face of the panel so that the core and coil of the relay Figures is a perspective view of the armature taching feet I3 are formed on frame plates I5 may be mounted on the back of the panel, the

core having a frame with attaching feet for this purpose, and the attaching feet cooperating with a shading coil which has a bracket ear also attached to the back of the panel.

Still a further object is to provide means for operating the contact springs from the armature which includes a removable armature cap having adjustable contact screws, the cap, when removed, permitting ready access to the contacts.

A further object is to provide a dust guard for the contact springs which is also removable to gain access to them when occasion requires it.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. The drawing is not intended to be exhaustive and is not to be taken as limiting of the invention, but on the contrary are chosen with a view to illustrating my invention so that others skilled in the art may apply it under varying conditions of practical use and may make such modifications and changes therein as such conditions may make desirable.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a relay embodying my invention and showing it mounte ture.

mounted on each side of the cor l2 (which is preferably laminated). Rivets l6 serve to secure the frame and core laminations together.

The bracket ear I4 is part of a shading ring ll, shown best in Figure 6, and has a threaded perforation l8 to receive a screw IS. The screw I9 passes through from the front of the panel P so as to secure the shading ring I! against the back face of the panel. The shading ring in turn is provided with a rectangular perforation 20 to receive a projection 2| of the core l2. A second projection 22 of the core is positioned below the ring. The end of the projection 2| terminates as indicated at 23 to serve as a stop for an armature 24. The shading ring I! may be a press-fit on the projection 2| and in addition thereto may be soldered or brazed to the core.

The armature 24 is also preferably of laminated character and has a pair of side frames 25. The side frames 25 are pivoted to the frame plates l5 by a pin 26 constituting a pivot for the arma- A spring 2] normally keeps the armature 24 in a retracted position.

The armature 24, it will be noted, is located adjacent the face of the panel P. The panel is provided with a rectangular opening 28 through which the lower leg of the core l2 and the portions 2| and 22 thereof project to coact with the armature.

The switch contacts for the relay comprise pairs of stationary contact plate 29 and 30 and movable contact blades 3|. -The plates 29, 30 and 3| are mounted on the face of the panel P by means of screws 32, insulators 33 and an insulator 34 surmounting the insulators 33 and the contact springs. Insulating leeves 35 surround the screw 32 to prevent electrical contact between the contact springs and the screws.

. The insulator 34 is inverted U-shaped as shown in Figure 5.

ml cars 36, 31 and 38, respectively, extending through openings in the panel P to the back thereof where they are connected to electric wires 39 as shown in Figure2. Thus all wiring is done behind the panel P to eliminate exposed screw passing through an opening 44 of the dust guard G and into the threaded opening. Thus, by means of a single screw, the dust guard is mounted against undesirable rotation so that it can be readily removed for gaining access to the contacts.

For actuating the movable contact springs 31 I provide an armature cap C which, as shown in Figure 4, has a pair of flanges 45 to fit the sides of the armature, By means of a single screw 45 through an opening 41 of the armature cap C and into a threaded opening 41' of the armature, the cap is maintained in position by a single screw means.

The armature cap C coacts with the contact springs 3| by means of adjustable contact screws 2-8 threaded into the armature cap. These screws,

as shown in Figure 2, are slotted as at 49 to receive a screw-driver and insulator disks 50 are sprung into covering position with relation to the screws 48 to prevent accidental contact with the screws, which are at times electrified. A

My relay construction permits a simple and inexpensive structure to be manufactured for double-throw relay work. There are no exposed wires on the front of the panel, it being possible to make all connections at the back. The relay core is held in position by a simple arrangement of the attachin feet I3 of the frame plates l5 and the bracket ear of the shading ring l1.

Easy access is had to the contacts of the springs 29, 30 and 3| by removal of two screws so that the armature cap and dust guard are removable and thus out of the way during cleaning and replacement operations.

As many changes could be made in the foregoing construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it i intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following 1. In a relay, a panel having an elongated opening, a core at the back of said panel, a coil onsaid core, said core extending into said opening of said panel toward the front of the panel, a frame for said core-having attaching feet secured to the back of said panel, a shading coil on said core and positioned against the back of said panel, said shading coil having a bracket ear secured to said panel and cooperating with said attaching feet to support the core and coil relative to the panel, and an armature adjacent the front of said panel for attraction into said opening of said panel by said core, said armature having a portion extending through said opening and pivoted to said frame behind said panel.

2. In a relay, a supporting member, a U-shaped core, a coil on said core, side plates for said core having extension away from one arm of the U,

said extensions terminating in attaching feet secured to said supporting member, "a shading coil on said core and positioned against said supporting member, said shading coilbeing secured to said supporting member and cooperating with said attaching feet to support said core and coil relative to said supporting member with the ends of the arms of the U projecting through said supporting member to the front thereof, and the remaining portion of the U and the coil positioned back of the supporting member, and an armature in front of said supporting member for attraction by said core, said armature projecting through the supporting member to the rear thereof and pivoted to said extensions of said side plates.

3. In a relay, a panel, a U-shaped core, a coil on said core, a frame for said core having attaching feet secured to said panel adjacent one arm of the U, a flat shading coil on said core rectangular in shape and having a bracket ear extendin from one side of the rectangle, said ear being secured to said panel and cooperating with said attaching feet to support the core and coil relative to the panel, with the ends of the arms of the U projecting through to the front of the panel and the remaining portion of the U and the coil back of the panel, an armature pivoted to said frame behind the panel and adjacent said attaching feet for attraction by said core, and spring means to normally retain said armature in retracted position. I

BURTON E. SHAW. 

